Galway City Council is pushing ahead with plans to fit out and transform the shell of a building it bought at Crown Square into a new headquarters.

This comes ahead of a Workplace Relations Commission (WRC) hearing next week to mediate between unions and management about Council staff issues with the controversial proposal to move City Hall to Mervue.

Derek Pender, Director of Services, responsible for the relocation project, has invited expressions of interest from building contractors capable of delivering the fit-out.

Although there was no expression of interest on all available properties in Galway City prior to the Council’s purchase in 2022 of the building in Mervue with a loan of €45.5m, a public procurement process is necessary by law for the fit-out contract.

Mr Pender, in a circular to Councillors and staff, explained that the procurement process would be done in two parts.

The first part – which began this week – involves a suitability assessment questionnaire.

This will allow the Council to create a shortlist of potential contractors capable of delivering the project.

The shortlisted candidates will then bid for the contract in the second part of the procurement process, the briefing said.

Councillors were told in June 2022 that the fit-out and move would be completed by December 2023, and cost €56m.

But unexplained delays meant a new timeline was issued last month – it will be Autumn 2026 at the earliest before the new City Hall is scheduled to open in Mervue.

The original estimate for the building’s fit-out was €11m, but there have been fears expressed by elected representatives that this could escalate.

Staff remain opposed to the move and protested at a City Council meeting in March.

Members of three trade unions Fórsa, SIPTU and Connect have pulled out of a consultation process – headed by mediator Kieran Mulvey – established by management to assuage their fears.

The grievance is now headed to the Workplace Relations Commission (WRC), with a hearing fixed for next Wednesday, April 9.

Pádraig Mulligan of Fórsa said he would ballot members for industrial action if the WRC process did not progress.

Pictured: Assistant General Secretary of Fórsa trade union, Padraig Mulligan, with Deputy Catherine Connolly at last month’s protest over the move to Crown Square. Fórsa, SIPTU and Connect have withdrawn from a consultation process, established by management to assuage workers’ concerns. PHOTO: BRIAN HARDING.